Safety pin



Dec, 30,- 1924.

J. w. 'MACKEY SAFETY PIN Filed Dec. 4, 1922 To all "whom it may concern:

Patented ideas. 30, 1924. i

JOHN w. MacnnY, or DETROIT, inrcnrcnn.

sarnry PIN.

Application filed December 4, 1922. Serial No. 604,857.

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. Maonn r, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SafetyPins, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to safety pins of that class commonly usedfor'securing sanitary napkins or other garments upon infants or adults,or employed for fastening together or supporting other articles or partsthereof, without danger of injury to the wearer or fabric or articlefrom the sharp point of the pin limb which pierces and holds the garmentor. supports the article, and the invention has for its object toprovide a simple, inexpensive and etlicient device of this character.

The invention will be described in the following specification havingappended claims clearly defining the novel features, and with referenceto the. accomipanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a perspective viewof one form of the improved safety pin, shown open, and with theoptionally used auxiliary cap plate pin point guard indicated by dottedlines;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the closed safety pin with the auxiliarycap guard plate shown in full lines, and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the closed safety pin with the cap guard platein cross sec tion, and indicating by dotted lines the final openposition of the laterally thrown pointed limb of the device.

This improved safety pin is or may be formed wholly or mainly of or froma single piece of spring wire comprising a preferably straight main backarm 1, at one end of which the wire is formed into a primary coil 2,preferably having a plurality of convolutions through which the wire ispassed axially and thence is passed backward to form an outwardly ordownwardly arched or bowed limb 3 having a point 4 allowing it to easilypierce or pass through the fabric of a napkin or other article to befastened or supported. At the other end of the main arm 1, the wire isformed into a second open coil 5, preferably having a plurality ofconvolutions between any two of which the limb point a may be engaged,as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, to lock the safety pin closed upon the fabricto hold the napkin or other article securely in place. 'The arched orbowed form of the closed limb 3, gives room between it and the main arm1, for considerable thickness of fabric without bringing such strainupon the limb as would cause its accidental disengagement from the coil5, from which, however, it may be readily released when a soiled napkinis to be substituted by a clean one, or when any retained article is tobe removed.

It will be specially noticed that the axis of the primary coil 2 is in aplane which is angularly disposed relative to the axis of the secondcoil 5, whereby when the pointed limb 3 is disengaged from the coil 5,said limb will automatically open outward from the main arm 1, and willalso be thrown laterally of the length of said arm at its pointed end 4,as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, and in dotted lines in Fig. 3, andinto a position greatly facilitating attachment of the safety pin to anapkin or other article to be secured and where it will lie, should thepin be accidentally opened, in a position where it will not be liable toinjure the child.

As thus far described in detail the safety pin may be efficiently used,but it is pre ferred to give it the further advantages accruing from useof a semicylindrical cap plate or housing 6, which is pressed intosecure engagement with the pin point receiving coil 5 to hold the coiland assists in guarding the point l when the limb is in closed position,preventing injury to a wearer while also preventing entanglement of anapkin or other fabric with said coil.

This improved safety pin has a large capacity, that is many thicknessesof goods may be gathered into it and held without danger of its beingopened by the strain. A pin of this character is also provided which iseasily, quickly and conveniently applied or removed, and will obviatethe liability of injury to the wearer of a napkin or other garment.

Having thus fully described my invention. what I claim is:

1. A safety pin formed of a continuous wire with a straight main arm, asheath coil at one end of said main arm, a spring coil at the oppositeend of said arm. the axis of one coil being at right angles to the IKH)'the free end of said spring coil, said limb having a sharpened free endand said spring coil being operative to swing said limb longitudinallyof the axis of said sheath coil with its sharpened end-engageab-lebetween the turns of said sheath coil to hold the limb in closedposition.

2. safety pin comprising a main arm formed at one end with a spring coiland fabric engaging limb formed integral with the opposite end of saidcoil, said coil being arranged with its axis transversely of thearm andwith said limb extending from said axis to swing said limb upon saidaxis,

to the other end of the main arm and adapted to receive between itsconvolutions the free pointed endof the limb to secure fabric upon saidlimb between it and said arm, and a cap plate held to outer portions ofsaid sheath coil to guard the limb point and preventing fabricentanglement in said coil.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.p

. JOHN W. MAOKEY. Witnesses: Y Y i i H. C. UNDERWoon, ARTHUR MINNIQK.

